Today, Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture David Marit announced $3.2 million in funding for research on carbon sequestration in perennial forage and pastures.
The funding was approved under the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) which advances research to address complex challenges faced by the agriculture and agri-food sectors.
The project, jointly undertaken by Dr. Angela Bedard-Haughn of the University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Cameron Carlyle of the University of Alberta over the next five years, will examine soil carbon stocks in perennial forage systems across Saskatchewan, and investigate the link between producer management practices and carbon stores to identify practices that promote carbon sequestration. One of the outcomes of the project will be maps providing an accurate estimate of carbon in Saskatchewan's pasture and rangelands.
The application included 11 letters of support from different industry organizations, which reflects the importance of this work to the provincial agriculture sector, and the project is co-funded by the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association which contributed $100,000 to the total amount and a $25,000 in-kind commitment.
